 | |
| BH | |
| Founded | 1909 in Éibar, Spain |
| Founders | Cosme Beistegui, Domingo Beistegui, Juan Beistegui |
| Headquarters | , Basque Country (Spain) |
Number of locations | Vitoria-Gasteiz: 2 Águeda, Portugal: 1 |
Area served | Europe |
| Products | Bicycles |
Beistegui Hermanos S.A. (BH or BH Bikes) is a Spanish bicycle manufacturer. Founded in 1909, it is headquartered in Spain. [1] As of 2023 it also went by BH Bicycles, after its years as Beistegui Hermanos. [2]
BH Bikes, or BH, is the acronym for Beistegui Hermanos, a company founded in Spain by the brothers Cosme Beistegui, Domingo Beistegui and Juan Beistegui. These individuals founded the company in 1909 in the Gipuzkoan municipality of Éibar, just before the onset of World War I. The company initially manufactured Mauser pistols, but orders slowed under the armistice. [1]
The company chose to convert their production chain and begin the manufacturing of bicycles [1] in 1919. [3] Prior to the Spanish Civil War in 1936 until 1939, Beistegui Hermanos also produced firearms, specifically copies of the Ruby pistol (as the 1914 Model) and Mauser C96 (as the MM31 and MM34).
In 1959, BH moved its production to a newer and larger plant in the Spanish city of Vitoria, capital of the Basque Country, Spain. In the decades afterwards, the Beistigui brothers' company became the largest producer of bicycles in Spain. [1] Among well-known models were the touring bicycle BH Gacela, as well as a folding BH that could be folded into the trunk of a car. [1]
During the 1960s, the main BH factory in Vitoria manufactured not just frames, but everything from saddle to spokes and handlebar. BH expanded to have two manufacturing and assembly facilities in Vitoria and another one in Águeda, Portugal. The facilities include CNC laser machining, which also produces fitness equipment and parts for BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
Their BH Meteor model, a BMX bike, became popular in the 1980s. [1] In 1984, the BH Running Bull became the first mountain bike manufactured entirely in Spain. Afterwards the company released its BH Top Line bike line, with oversize aluminum frames. [1] Later lines included ultralight bicycles for triathlon use, and electronic bikes. [1]
In the early 1990s, BH purchased Peugeot and founded Cycleurope, owner of Bianchi, Peugeot and Gitane. In 1996, BH sold Cycleurope to concentrate on home markets of Spain and in Portugal. In 2001, BH re-focused on the pan-European market.
The Vitoria factory closed in 2010, with the company maintaining logistics there. Production was moved to Portugal and subcontracted to chaisn in China. BH Bikes remained owned by the Beistegui family. [1]
The company introduced its first electric model in 2008. In 2016, the company sold around 60 different models that ranged in price from around $1,300 to US$5,200. [4] BH at one point manufactured 200,000 bicycles a year, 50% of which were exported to European countries other than Spain.
As BH Bikes, in early 2021, the company was returning to the UK market with a partnership with the company Ciclista. Its bike range at that time include MTB, road, gravel, trekking, urban, and the various equivalents in e-bikes. BH Bikes already had partnerships with SPIUK and ProCycleCare. [5] In 2022, BH was the third-largest bike-maker in Spain, after Orbea and Mondraker. [6] As of 2023 it also went by BH Bicycles. [2]
In 1935, the company sponsored the first Vuelta a España. [1] The winner of the first two editions of this bike race, Gustaaf Deloor of Belgium, crossed the finish line on a BH bicycle. This was again the case later in 1986, with the rider Álvaro Pino, also on a BH. [1]
BH sponsored the French Direct Énergie Pro Cycling Team in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, and have also sponsored the French cycling teams FDJ–Suez and Sojasun. Sponsored athletes have included Anton Sintsov and Donato De Ieso among others.
As BH Bikes, they were sponsoring the Spanish Burgos BH cycling team as of 2023. [7]
Fuji Bikes is a brand of bicycles and cycling equipment currently owned by Advanced Sports International. The company is a descendant of Nichibei Fuji Cycle Company, Ltd. (日米富士自転車株式会社), a bicycle manufacturer originally established in Japan in 1899. The company took its name and logo from Mount Fuji, a Japanese symbol of strength and endurance.
The Schwinn Bicycle Company is an American company that develops, manufactures and markets bicycles under the eponymous brand name. The company was founded by Ignaz Schwinn (1860–1948) in Chicago in 1895. and became the dominant manufacturer of American bicycles. Schwinn first declared bankruptcy in 1992 and was restructured, in 2001 Schwinn again declared bankruptcy and was purchased by Pacific Cycle, now owned by the Dutch conglomerate, Pon Holdings.
Peugeot S.A., trading as Groupe PSA was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles and motorcycles under the Peugeot, Citroën, DS, Opel and Vauxhall brands. On 18 December 2019, PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced that they had agreed to the terms of a binding $50 billion merger. On 16 July 2020, both companies announced the new name for their merged operations, Stellantis. The deal closed on 16 January 2021. As of 2022, Stellantis is the fourth largest automaker by sales behind Toyota, Volkswagen Group, and Hyundai Motor Group.
Riese & Müller is a bicycle manufacturer in Mühltal, Germany. Founded by Markus Riese and Heiko Müller, it designs and makes suspended bicycles. Frames are produced by companies such as Triangle's, Portugal. All of their bikes are assembled by hand in Germany.
Den Beste Sykkel, better known as DBS, is a Norwegian bicycle brand, manufactured by Jonas Øglænd AS in Sandnes, Norway.
Giant Manufacturing Co. Ltd. is a Taiwanese bicycle manufacturer, recognized as the world's largest bicycle designer and manufacturer. Giant has manufacturing facilities in Taiwan, the Netherlands, China and Hungary. They have future plans for Vietnam to be the fifth location.
Gitane is a French manufacturer of bicycles based in Machecoul, France; the name "Gitane" means gypsy woman. The brand was synonymous with French bicycle racing from the 1960s through the mid-1980s, sponsoring riders such as Jacques Anquetil (1963–1965), Lucien Van Impe (1974–1976), Bernard Hinault (1975–1983), Laurent Fignon (1982–1988), and Greg LeMond (1981–1984). It is owned by Grimaldi Industri AB.
Orbea is a bicycle manufacturer based in Mallabia, Spain. It is part of the Mondragón Cooperative Corporation and Spain's largest bicycle manufacturer. Orbea manufactures and assembles bikes at their own factories in Spain and Portugal.
GasGas is a Spanish motorcycle and bicycle manufacturer specializing in off-road and trial bikes. The company was founded in 1985 in Salt, Girona, Catalonia, by Narcìs Casas and Josep Pibernat after the closure of the original Bultaco factory, where they previously worked.
De Rosa is the family brand of Ugo De Rosa. De Rosa's company became renowned during the late 1960s and 1970s for manufacturing road racing bicycles.
Nishiki is a brand of bicycles designed, specified, marketed and distributed by West Coast Cycle in the United States, initially manufactured by Kawamura Cycle Co. in Kobe, Japan, and subsequently by Giant of Taiwan. The bicycles were first marketed under the American Eagle brand beginning in 1965 and later under the Nishiki brand until 2001.
F.I.V. Edoardo Bianchi S.p.A., commonly known as Bianchi is the world's oldest bicycle manufacturing company in existence, having pioneered the use of equal-sized wheels with pneumatic rubber tires. The company was founded in Italy in 1885 and in addition to bicycles it produced motorcycles from 1897 to 1967. In 1955 the joint-venture Autobianchi was created together with Fiat and Pirelli for the manufacturing of cars – Autobianchi was subsequently sold to Fiat in 1969.
Centurion was a brand of bicycles created in 1969 by Mitchell (Mitch) M. Weiner and Junya (Cozy) Yamakoshi, who co-founded Western States Import Co. (WSI) in Canoga Park, California to design, specify, distribute and market the bicycles. The bikes themselves were manufactured initially in Japan by companies including H. Teams Company of Kobe and later in Taiwan by companies including Merida. The Centurion brand was consolidated with WSI's mountain bike brand DiamondBack in 1990. WSI ceased operations in 2000.
Lotus was a brand of bicycles designed, specified, marketed and distributed by Lotus International Corp. of Syosset, New York, which had been founded by Sid and Ernst Star. The bikes were offered as a complete range, from entry level to professional models, and were manufactured by Tsunoda Bicycle Corporation of Nagoya, Japan, and subsequently by other manufacturers — including a group of mid-1980s high end models manufactured in Italy, in conjunction with Cinelli.
Cycles Peugeot, founded in 1882, is a manufacturer of bicycles based in Sochaux, France and currently a part of Cycleurope, a subsidiary of Sweden-based firm Grimaldi Industri.
Tandem Group is a British-based designer, developer, distributor, and retailer of sports, leisure, and mobility products. Based in Castle Bromwich, West Midlands, the company is listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange.
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